Day 16 (3/6)
Day 16 (3/6): We Are All God’s Kids
Scripture Reading: Jonah 4:1-10
Written by Beth Patterson
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
So what do we make of Jonah and the big fish? How might we live into truths from this particular Bible story? It seems like God wants us to know:
- He longs for us to long for Him and follow His plans for us.
- He wants us to listen when He speaks to us.
- He yearns for us to live into who He created us to be.
- He is relentless in His pursuit.
- He will stop at nothing to draw us back to Him.
Whether we need to spend a few days in the belly of a big fish, or ask God to reveal to us what gifts of ours bring Him pleasure, we, like Jonah, are God’s kids. The folks of Nineveh were God’s kids too. When they repented, He delighted in forgiving them. God is a forgiving Father. He is a loving Father.
Prayer: Dear God, transform our hearts to turn to You, in praise, repentance, and love. May we listen for You, hear You, and follow You all the days of our lives. Amen.